Joystiq hands-on: Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 (XBLA/PSN)

Call it another old-school remake/update; Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 will be out on XBLA and PSN this Spring. The angled, overhead shooter draws on its MERCS origins, bringing three-player destruction to those systems for $10 or 800 Microsoft Points.

At a recent demo, I played the 360 version of the game. Controls felt good, with walking assigned to the left stick and shooting to the right. I lobbed grenades and launched super attacks with other buttons; the arsenal held my interest. Vehicles should be a big part of the game, too. In my demo, we drove in an armored truck, shooting from our different seats, and floated down a river raft. Hopefully the full game will feature lots of these breaks, since on-foot battles could grow monotonous.
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The graphics followed a slightly stylized, animated look, with crisply defined edges on characters and objects. Other visuals looked good, showing subtle depth-of-field blur and heat effects. The jungle setting was polished.

Commando 3 seems like a sharp -- although not-unique -- scrolling, multiplayer shooter. Fans of this genre will likely find a strong title, but it might not stand out in a crowded market. Still, Street Fighter fans could do worse for their golden ticket.